Colorado’s economy has seen eight straight years of growth. That makes it the second longest expansion in history. State economist Larson Silbaugh says Colorado’s unemployment rate is the lowest in the nation.

“The unemployment rate has stayed at or below 2.3% for a little over seven months. After this length of growth, most of the economic indicators are going to look pretty good. ”

The Denver region, northern Colorado and areas with large ski resorts are among the strongest economies. There are some downsides. The labor market is tight and housing is expensive in many places. Almost every region in the state saw growth, except for Garfield, Delta, Rio Blanco and Gunnison counties on the Western Slope. Those communities have faced losses, as coal and natural gas industries struggle. I’m BB at the state capitol.